Treatment with the chemotherapy agent capecitabine increased disease-free survival for women with HER2-negative breast cancer that was not eliminated by presurgery chemotherapy, according to results from the phase III CREATE-X clinical trial presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer...
Adding denosumab (Xgeva) to adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy improved disease-free survival for postmenopausal patients with early-stage, hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, according to results from the phase III ABCSG-18 clinical trial presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast...
Systematic collection of cancer patients’ symptoms using computer surveys was linked to less frequent emergency room admissions, longer average chemotherapy adherence, greater quality-of-life improvements, and improved survival, according to a new randomized, controlled trial spearheaded by a ...
In the phase III NAPOLI-1 trial reported in The Lancet, Wang-Gillam et al found that the addition of nanoliposomal irinotecan (Onivyde) to fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (leucovorin) resulted in improved overall survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal cancer who had received...
A first-in-human phase I study of multiple myeloma patients combined expanded cord blood-derived natural killer cells with transplantation of a patient’s own stem cells and high-dose chemotherapy, with little or none of the side effects seen with current treatments. Results from the clinical...
Using a pediatric chemotherapy regimen to treat young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) significantly improved their outcomes compared to what has historically been achieved with “adult” treatment protocols, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists. Overall survival...
Ninety-three percent of pediatric patients (55 of 59) with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) went into remission after receiving an investigational therapy made from their own immune cells, with continuous remissions of over 1 year in 18 patients and over 2 years in nine...
Depression is a significant predictor of 5-year survival and recurrence in head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. These findings, published by Shinn et al in Psychosomatic Medicine, represent one of the largest reported...
In a study presented by Moureau et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, ixazomib (Ninlaro), a recently approved oral proteasome inhibitor, significantly extended progression-free survival for patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (Abstract 727)....
Prophylactic antibiotics significantly reduce the risk of serious bacterial infections in children during the critical first month of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer, according to a study led by investigators from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's...
A presentation by Tedeschi et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting outlined results of the phase III RESONATE TM-2 study of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) vs chlorambucil (Leukeran) in patients aged 65 years and older with treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small...
In a nested case-control study in the Women’s Health Initiative Clinical Trial, reported in Journal of the National Cancer Institute by Murphy et al, endogenous estrogen levels were inversely associated with and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) levels were positively associated with...
In a Spanish phase III trial (GEICAM/2003-10) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Martín et al found that invasive disease–free survival was improved with adjuvant epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (EC) followed by docetaxel (EC-T) vs epirubicin/docetaxel followed by capecitabine...
Recent data indicated that the rates of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and diagnosis of early-stage prostate cancer have decreased since a 2012 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) statement (released in October 2011) gave a grade D recommendation against PSA screening for all...
The results of the randomized Graall-R 2005 study presented by Maury et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting found a new use for rituximab (Rituxan) in acute leukemia (Abstract 1). CD20 is present in 30% to 50% of patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphocytic...
A study presented by Stone et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting described a phase III trial of the first targeted therapy for genetically defined subset of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and its improvement of their survival (Abstract 6). Acute myeloid...
Researchers at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry are partnering with a private company to develop computer simulations that can help personalize cancer care by predicting how a patient will respond to a drug treatment. Their findings were presented by Brogden et al at the 57th American...
A study presented by Landier et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting examined the common problem of children in remission from acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) not adhering to their maintenance drug regimens, thus putting them at risk of relapse (Abstract 82). ...
Two studies presented at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting examine the common problem of cancer-associated thrombosis. One looked to validate dosing guidelines for avoiding chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, a common autoimmune response to therapy; the second compared ...
A study to be reported by Raetz et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting examined the potential of using real-time genetic analysis to personalize chemotherapy regimens for children with B-cell lymphocytic leukemia (Abstract 807). The study findings were presented at a...
A study (Abstract LBA1) to be reported by Abbas Ali et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting demonstrated promising early outcomes of a first-in-human trial using a patient’s own genetically modified immune cells to eradicate multiple myeloma. The study...
A study (Abstract 99) to be reported today by Brudno et al at the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting was the first clinical trial to use engineered donor immune cells to prevent progressive cancer after stem cell transplantation. The findings were presented at a...
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has released a list of five hematology-related tests and procedures to question based on recommendations from other medical societies taking part in the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® campaign. This list...
Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a potential new approach to fertility preservation for young cancer patients that addresses concerns about beginning cancer treatment immediately and the possibility of reintroducing cancer cells during the fertility-preservation process....
In a study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nudelman et al found that increased chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms at 1 month after completing treatment for breast cancer was associated with increased cerebral perfusion and increased gray matter density at 1 month....
Can any cancer cell form another tumor, or is it only select cancer stem cells that give rise to new cancer cells? The answer, a new study finds, is both. Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center looked at human ovarian cancer cells, and found that, for the most part,...
Studies show that an estimated 67% of women aged 40 and older undergo screening mammography every 1 to 2 years. Over the course of 10 screening mammograms, the estimated cumulative probability of at least one false-positive result is 61% for women screened annually and 42% for women screened...
An increasing number of men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer are opting for active surveillance rather than aggressive treatment to avoid the debilitating potential side effects of surgery and radiation, such as erectile and urinary dysfunction. However, a new study by University of...
Breast density may not be a strong independent factor for breast cancer risk, according to a new study presented (BR267-SD-THA1) by Katavic et al December 2, 2015, at the Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. Prior research has shown an association between...
Postmenopausal African American women who use female hormone supplements containing estrogen and progestin (“combination” therapy) are at an increased risk for estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer. The study, published by Rosenberg et al in the Journal of the National Cancer...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for elotuzumab (Empliciti) in combination with two other therapies to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior medications. “We are continuing to learn about the ways the immune system interacts...
Additional breast cancers found with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are sometimes larger and potentially more aggressive than those found on mammography, according to a study published by Iacconi et al in Radiology. Researchers said that in some cases, MRI findings of additional cancers not seen...
University of Southern California (USC) researchers have developed a mathematical model to forecast metastatic breast cancer survival rates using techniques usually reserved for weather prediction, financial forecasting, and surfing the Web. For decades, medical schools have taught doctors that...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) as a single agent for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Clinical Trial Results The approval is based on data...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved necitumumab (Portrazza) in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Necitumumab is not indicated for treatment of nonsquamous NSCLC....
A coalition formed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in New York resulted in a 40% increase in screening rates over 4 years. The program may serve as a foundation for other communities to boost cancer screening rates,...
A study that tracked tens of thousands of middle-aged and older men for more than 20 years has found that vigorous exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits may cut their chances of developing a lethal type of prostate cancer by up to 68%. While most prostate cancers are clinically indolent, a...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved nivolumab (Opdivo) to treat patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who have received a prior antiangiogenic therapy. Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2,...
In a phase II study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Catenacci et al found no benefit of adding vismodegib (Erivedge) to gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Sonic hedgehog (SHH), an activating ligand of the smoothened receptor (SMO) inhibited by vismodegib, has...
Minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries have advantages for patients, including shorter hospital stays, quicker recoveries, and less pain. However, power morcellation, a technique that cuts the uterus or fibroid into small pieces in order to extract them from the abdomen through a small incision,...
A new, injectable “biogel” is effective in delivering anticancer agents directly into cancerous tumors and killing them, according to a study published by Monette et al in Biomaterials. The technology was developed by researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre...
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Miglioretti et al found that diagnosis of breast cancer after biennial vs annual mammography screening was associated with a higher risk of less favorable tumor prognostic characteristics among premenopausal women. They also noted a nonsignificantly higher risk ...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for ixazomib (Ninlaro) in combination with two other agents to treat patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. “As we learn more about the underlying biology of multiple myeloma, we are encouraged ...
In a retrospective analysis of data from 130 patients with pancreatic cysts, scientists at Johns Hopkins have used gene-based tests and a fixed set of clinical criteria to more accurately distinguish precancerous cysts from those less likely to do harm. The findings may eventually help some...
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published by Bradley et al in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment showed that patients with breast cancer whose health insurance plans included prescription drug benefits were 10% more likely to start important hormonal therapy than patients who did not ...
Women who have ovarian cancer often develop a condition called ascites, which is a buildup of fluids in the abdomen. The most common treatment for ascites is puncturing the abdomen and manually draining the fluid, which is painful, risky, and must be repeated every few weeks. University of...
Men with prostate cancer who are undergoing radiation therapy can benefit from yoga, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reported at the Society for Integrative Oncology’s 12th International Conference. The new, first-of-its-kind study, led...
For patients with kidney failure, poor kidney function and immunosuppressant medications may increase their risk of developing different types of cancer. The findings, which are published by Yanik et al in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, suggest the need for persistent cancer...
A study analyzing data from a large, nationally representative U.S. health survey population comparing biomarkers of tobacco exposure in smokeless tobacco users and cigarette smokers has found the exclusive smokeless tobacco users have higher observed levels of exposure to nicotine and a...
The likelihood of receiving curative-intent surgery for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) varies substantially from state to state, according to data presented at the Eighth American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on the Science of Cancer Health...